Creator / Nick Jr.

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Nick Jr. is a sister network of Nickelodeon primarily focused for preschoolers and young children launched February 2, 1999.

Nick Jr. originally started out as a programming block which lasted from 1988 to 2009 as part of Nickelodeon's daytime schedule. This block contained programming for a preschool audience and typically ran from 7 a.m./8 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST/3 p.m. EST. The block was home to many classic off-network cartoons and foreign programming/anime such as The World of David the Gnome, Muppet Babies, Belle and Sebastian and Rupert. The block was revamped in 1994 with mostly Nickelodeon-made programming with a new host, Face, who later was replaced by Piper 'O Possum. The block was mainly known for launching the pre-school juggernauts Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer, as well as airing some early fondly remembered anime such as The Noozles, The Adventure of The Little Koala and Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics. The programming block unofficially ended in 2009; it is now a block of preschool shows with the name "Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon," likely a purposeful move to drive viewers to the new channel.

Before Nick Jr. became its own channel, it was previously known as "Noggin." Launched in 1999, Noggin was a joint venture between the Children's Television Workshop (later known as Sesame Workshop) and Nickelodeon until 2002, when CTW sold its share to Viacom when the Nostalgia Filter programming they brought in such as Sesame Street and The Electric Company (1971) reruns didn't do much for ratings according to Viacom. Then in 2002, Nickelodeon launched The-N (now TeenNick) as a timeshare channel sharing space with Noggin. Noggin programming ran from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, and then The-N would take over. When The-N split off from Noggin in 2008, Noggin ran preschool programming 24/7. In 2009, the channel re-branded to Nick Jr., along with the other channels in Nickelodeon's channel suite. Nick Jr. has commercial-free programming (without a standard schedule). The network was hosted by Moose A. Moose and Zee, a moose and bird combo who also have onscreen games and activities for kids to play. In March 2012, Nickelodeon retired the pair from both the television network and its official website, and replaced the interstitial content and themes with the "The Smart Place to Play" branding already seen in their morning block on Nickelodeon.

In October, 2012, the 24/7 Nick Jr. network began airing an ill-fated new programming block, NickMom, in the late-night hours specifically targeted at mothers, such as moms doing stand-up comedy and "tips on how to keep romance alive after being a mother." This might not be so much the loss it seems, given that most of what aired in the late-night hours was just repeats of stuff that had aired during the day anyway. Despite this, there were many who are swearing off the channel for late-nights and consider it Network Decay. Angry parents loathed the block because of its coarse content and the fact The Brady Bunch episodes played in the block had adult Pop Up Video commentary from Carol Brady, and in the west, parents who didn't understand how the people at Nick forgot what airs at 10pm in New York State airs at 7pm in Los Angeles and 5pm in Honolulu note or 4, since Hawaii does not observe DST because of time zones, as Nick Jr./NickMom carries only an Eastern Time Zone feed. Thankfully many of the more vulgar shows and the remixed Brady episodes bombed, with others getting content tweaks, and by June 2013 the block consisted of some original programming mixed in with acquired sitcoms from Nick At Nite which are at least tolerable and inoffensive. Eventually though, the moms had their way—NickMom was dropped on September 28, 2015 to little fanfare, after an airing of Guarding Tess.

Nick Jr. channel programming includesnote Any of the programming listed below may: A.) Currently be airing on Nick Jr., B.) Have aired in the United States on either Nickelodeon/Nick Jr., or C.) Aired on Nick Jr. in a non-U.S. market:

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